EDS Participants' Comments

“I felt the conference was uplifting and revitalizing. To spend two days with my counterparts from over 50 nationwide schools was amazing. I gleaned so much from our conversations and sessions that I hope to implement to make our school even stronger. I’m already looking forward to next year’s conference!”

Dov Shandalov, Hillel Torah, Chicago

“It is incredibly helpful to have an extensive network of Jewish day school professionals sharing their experiences, processes, and knowledge. Many schools, irrespective of size, face similar challenges, and having the ability to easily share information and best practices is a powerful resource for schools. I would encourage all Jewish day schools to take part in the wonderful programs being offered by the Torah Educators Network.”

Stuart Gasner, Kohelet Yeshiva, Philadelphia

“Thank you for organizing such a wonderful conference. The conference gave me the opportunity to meet and gain insights from so many experienced, successful Executive Directors and Administrators, a valuable learning experience for me as I get my start in this field.”

Rabbi Dovid Gewirtz Yeshiva Torat Emet, Houston

“I truly valued the conference. It was a great experience to be in a room full of people who do what I do and can relate to the issues I deal with on a daily basis. It was so well organized, down to the smallest detail.”

Lev R. Stark, Yavneh Hebrew Academy, Los Angeles

“The topics were relevant and discussions were lively. Great crowd, found the peer to peer networking very valuable!”

Moshe Tomases, Yeshiva Bais Yehudah, Detroit

“The sessions were moderated by professionals heavily invested in the daily running of Jewish day schools and there wasn’t a dull moment, as the group was heavily involved in every session.”

Rabbi Shaya Hauptman, Torah Academy of Jacksonville

“I especially appreciate the sense of achdus among many schools that are geographically spread out and vary in hashkafa and communities served, yet have the same goals and similar challenges. There were many practical lessons and ideas shared that I am already implementing!”

“The conference was fantastic, far exceeding the expectation walking inI had a great time and am already looking forward to your next announcement.”

Rabbi Ari Ginian, Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island

“It was an invaluable experience to sit in a room with 60 people who have the same or similar position in Jewish day schools across the country. I now have 60 new people with whom to network and share ideas. The professional development sessions focused on key areas of business operations and management giving me fresh perspectives and solutions to implement at work.”

Marcy Kalnitz, Torah Day School, Atlanta

“The conference was great. It is important and resourceful to connect with, and share ideas with, fellow Executive Directors from yeshiva day schools around the country. We all learn from each other and can implement our shared ideas to benefit our own yeshivot.”

Ephi Strazynski, Yeshiva Har Torah, Little Neck, NY

The conference was a tremendous opportunity to share ideas and questions with peers that deal with the same issues as I do everyday. I was able to ask leaders from completely different schools questions about capital campaigns, and found their responses insightful. I have already implemented changes in my reporting structure to better reflect best practices that were discussed at the conference. Can't wait till next year.”

Rabbi Deon Nathan, Torah Day School, Dallas

“It was a pleasure to attend this much-needed conference. With so many different yeshivas and heads of school in attendance, we all had the opportunity to exchange our ideas and practices that are successful in our institutions. It was a chance to hear what works and what doesn’t, and we all owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to Rabbi Tirschwell for his hard work.”

Ari Solomon, HAFTR

“I wanted to express my appreciation for a job well done. The participants had a chance to share, explore, and interact with others. Kol Hakavod!”

Joel Kirschner, Yavneh Academy, Bergen County

“Thank you for an excellent conference. As I was leaving, I was already excited about next year.”

Rabbi Efrayim Clair, Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey

“Yasher Koach for taking a great, well-executed idea and raising the bar even higher. I appreciate how monumental this conference, and the sharing of ideas over email in between the conferences, truly is. Experiencing the camaraderie and tachlis was a pleasant surprise last year, and is something I really look forward to.”